Meaning & Origins

From the vocabulary word for daybreak, originally bestowed as a given name in the 1920s, no doubt because of the connotations of freshness and purity of this time of day. It may have originated as a translation of Aurora. Twin girls are sometimes given the names Dawn and Eve, although the latter name does not in fact have anything to do with the time of day. The name is also associated with the British actress Dawn Addams (1930–1985), the British comedienne Dawn French (b. 1957), and the American singer Dawn Upshaw (b. 1960).